MathDB
No sequence of steps leaving 2011 blue squares

Source: Romanian MO 2010 Grade 7

August 6, 2012
combinatorics proposedcombinatorics

Problem Statement

Each of the small squares of a 50×5050\times 50 table is coloured in red or blue. Initially all squares are red. A step means changing the colour of all squares on a row or on a column. a) Prove that there exists no sequence of steps, such that at the end there are exactly 20112011 blue squares. b) Describe a sequence of steps, such that at the end exactly 20102010 squares are blue.
Adriana & Lucian Dragomir